The ACT government is pushing ahead of the election two rushed and sparsely-detailed 2016 ALP election promises so they can be “delivered” to the point of no return by October, says letters writer SUE DYER, of Downer. 

THE ongoing SPIRE (Garran) and the Section 72 (Dickson) planning sagas share many similarities, unfortunately. 

Columnist Paul Costigan’s careful analysis of the past three years of SPIRE planning (“The changing hospital promise hurts the locals”, CN, November 21) reveals another hurried attempt to drop a large building and servicing complex onto an inappropriate site. 

The current locations for both major building projects call out for far different treatment that is more in keeping with the adjacent surroundings, and recognises the value of many well-expressed, thought-through inputs from the community about alternative approaches to meeting a range of needs. 

Both areas also lack an overall master plan. But it seems both projects are being pushed so that two rushed and sparsely-detailed 2016 ALP election promises can be “delivered” to the point of no return by October 2020. 

Ticking the “promise” boxes in this way will only add to mounting community concern and disappointment as the ACT election creeps closer.

Many will also be suspicious of any party’s worthy-sounding or hard-to-find promises that are thrust into the public arena at the last minute next October, with either vague locational detail attached or site commitments that could be easily changed in the future, to the disadvantage of other important objectives. 

The risks are now too high for accepting many promises at face value. Giving a personal mental tick to what seems a good idea at election time for a necessary service or facility now seems foolhardy when the subsequent planning and implementation processes can no longer be trusted to lead to sound, sensible and beneficial outcomes for both the proposed service users and the broader community area. 

Many in Dickson and the surrounding suburbs would no doubt wish the newly-formed Garran Residents Association all the best for their endeavours to have their community’s views heeded from now on.

Sue Dyer, Downer

I’m with Costigan on gum-tree dangers

I TOTALLY agree with “Canberra Matters” columnist Paul Costigan’s article about the unsuitability of gum trees in urban areas (“Has Rattenbury picked the right trees?” CN, November 14). 

We have a row of large gums on government land close to the western side of our house in Flynn. On windy days our property is showered with leaves and bark from these trees. 

When I was younger, I was able to climb up on the roof to blow the offending rubbish out of the roof valleys and gutters. Now I have to pay someone to do it. 

Unlike the leaves from many deciduous trees, the bark and leaves from gum trees don’t break down and have the capacity to prevent water draining away which may enter the ceiling. 

Also the limbs of gum trees are relatively brittle and can fall without warning. I witnessed the 2003 catastrophe and now the television images of the fires in California, NSW and Queensland and am looking into installing protective metal mesh against embers entering our roof.

John House, Flynn

Bill’s living in the past

BILL Stefaniak (CN, Letters, November 14) and his extreme conservative ilk never acknowledge or even seem to understand that things change. Quite dramatically in recent years, especially when it comes to renewable energy technology and unfortunately, environmental degradation. 

His claim that developing Adani and other mines will lift 300 million Indians out of poverty is blatantly insincere and totally misleading. He fails to mention the terrible air pollution that is now a regular feature of many Indian cities or the corrupt links that Gautam Adani has with the Modi government. 

Regardless of apparent electoral vindication, the Adani project will be a costly disaster for Australia in all respects. To mention just two; tax revenues may never eventuate and there are increased risks of coal-laden ships travelling through the Great Barrier Reef. 

He is plainly wrong about the solar and wind technology and when he starts raving on about uranium and thorium, he sounds like a lobbyist rather than a former politician living in the past.

John Sherborne, Torrens

Truth first casualty in climate war

AS in war, truth is the first casualty in global warming. During the week ending November 9, large sections of the left-wing media reported 11,000 scientists had declared a climate emergency. 

Following some in-depth research, I discovered the declaration is essentially the product of five people – none being a climate scientist. And it wasn’t signed by 11,000 scientists because one signatory was “Micky [sic] Mouse”. About 1000 identified themselves as students. One must ask that if some people misrepresent, if not deceive, the community on this matter, what else have they done and will do? 

The International Disasters Database reports that deaths from natural disasters have seen a large decline over the past century, from in some years millions, to an average of 60,000 deaths and, in the most recent decade, often less than 10,000. Do these fear mongers know the difference between whether and weather?

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Sprinklers are the answer

WITH regard to illegal flammable panels on building facades (“ACT government moribund on cladding fears”, CN, November 14); to prevent fire spread, to avoid wall-replacement disruption and for economy, external sprinklers could be retrofitted on the subject facades. 

Sprinklers extinguish virtually all fires they detect and, on facades, pipework could be concealed where required. 

Such life (and property) saving work cannot be delayed, and approving authorities must pay for it in the first instance. 

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Move out or harden up

PAUL Costigan’s column “The changing hospital promise hurts the locals” (CN, November 21) mentions children, parents and traffic, but also hurt residents. How tragic that they have to endure helicopters and sirens from ambulances and all that racket around! 

Well, why don’t they move the hell out, surely the real estate elsewhere will compensate, and they won’t lose too much equity, will they?

On the other hand, we need a hospital and the services it provides us, those kids at school need the hospital, so do their parents and the inconvenienced residents need the hospital, so harden up because lots of people overseas don’t have our luck.

Ricardo Castro, via email